Förekomst av smak- och/eller luktförändringar vid antitumoral behandling med kemoterapi
Aim: The aim of present study was to determine the frequency of taste and smell disorders occuring in patients receiving chemotherapy for cancer. Methods: The study was of an empirical cross sectional quantitative descriptive design. During one month, consecutive cancer patients at outpatient units in two Swedish hospitals were asked to participate in the study by completing a questionnaire that had been developed previously for a similar study. All participants had undergone at least 1 cycle of intravenous chemotherapy or a minimum of seven days of oral chemotherapy. Results: A total of 102 patients completed the questionnaire. Results show that 55 % experienced taste disorders and 42 % experienced smell disorders. Both disorders are more common in women than in men. Of patients with taste disorders 47 % reported that it impacted on their daily life to some degree and of patients with smell disorders the corresponding number was 33%. Patients with smell disorders reported a smaller degree of impact on their daily life than did patients with taste disorders. Conclusion: Both taste and smell disorders are common in cancer patients treated within chemotherapy. More research into factors that might eliminate or dimnish these problems is needed.